Thursday, January 8, 2026: 2:30 PM
Salon 3 (Palmer House Hilton)
“The Mexican Klan Unmasked: A History of the Ku Klux Klan in Mexico, 1923- 1929.”
However, the story of the Mexican Klan extends beyond its brief and violent existence. It reveals much about the cultural and political landscape of Mexico during the 1920s. Despite its fleeting presence, the Mexican Klan reflected a significant moment of discontent among many Mexicans who, dissatisfied with the outcomes of the Mexican Revolution, turned to American far-right movements like the Ku Klux Klan for inspiration. Additionally, this paper also aims to analyze the influence that Mexico had on the American Klan. The American Ku Klux Klan, known for its staunch anti-Catholic stance, drew inspiration from Mexican President Plutarco Elías Calles’ restrictions on the Catholic Church. The American Klan openly supported Calles during the Cristero War, a rebellion launched by Catholic insurgents from 1926 to 1929. By examining Klan internal documents, propaganda, and newspaper coverage, this paper seeks to explore, for the first time, not only how President Calles’ anti catholic policies during the Cristero War impacted the American Klan, but also how the American Klan influenced the Mexican political landscape of the 1920s.
Readers of one of Mexico City’s most popular newspapers, El Universal Gráfico, were undoubtedly shocked when they opened their papers on July 11, 1923, to find the headline in bold red letters: “The Ku Klux Klan is in Mexico,” accompanied by a photo of ten hooded men. The Ku Klux Klan movement in Mexico was short-lived, lasting only a few months in 1923 before vanishing from public attention.
However, the story of the Mexican Klan extends beyond its brief and violent existence. It reveals much about the cultural and political landscape of Mexico during the 1920s. Despite its fleeting presence, the Mexican Klan reflected a significant moment of discontent among many Mexicans who, dissatisfied with the outcomes of the Mexican Revolution, turned to American far-right movements like the Ku Klux Klan for inspiration. Additionally, this paper also aims to analyze the influence that Mexico had on the American Klan. The American Ku Klux Klan, known for its staunch anti-Catholic stance, drew inspiration from Mexican President Plutarco Elías Calles’ restrictions on the Catholic Church. The American Klan openly supported Calles during the Cristero War, a rebellion launched by Catholic insurgents from 1926 to 1929. By examining Klan internal documents, propaganda, and newspaper coverage, this paper seeks to explore, for the first time, not only how President Calles’ anti catholic policies during the Cristero War impacted the American Klan, but also how the American Klan influenced the Mexican political landscape of the 1920s.
See more of: New Approaches to Mexico's Cristero War, One Hundred Years Later
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